Fig. 6. Ezrin and Nonmuscle Myosin II are essential for microridge formation.

a While the actin cytoskeleton, labeled by phalloidin (red) co-localizes with microridges visualized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), both actin cytoskeleton and microridge architecture are completely disrupted after knockdown of ezrin (scale bar ctl MO, 4.5 µm; scale bar ezrin MO, 9 µm). b Inhibition of Myosin Light Chain Kinase (MLCK) by ML7 disrupted microridge development (scale bars, 9 µm). c Twenty cells obtained from 2 DMSO- or ML7 (40 µM) treated Xenopus embryos were visualized by SEM and analyzed by U-net⁴¹. Principal component analysis (PC scores) separated the DMSO- and ML7-treated MCCs based on seven different parameters (microridge length, MCC cell area, microridge area, microridge number, branches, thickness, and microridge to cell ratio). While the surface area of MCCs treated with ML7 was increased, the number of microridges, the number of branch points and the microridge thickness was significantly reduced, decreasing the ratio between cell surface area and the area occupied by microridges (mean; Mann–Whitney U test). Images were obtained at stage 29-30. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.